An Italian man with no arm has been found guilty of trying to avoid getting a vaccination he was not properly registered for.
Asdrubal Podor, an Italian citizen of Romanian origin, was born with a deformed arm that prevented him from wearing a shirt, a statement from the public prosecutor’s office said.
The health ministry advised him in April 2011 that it was urgently necessary for him to take a cold type of vaccination – Pandemrix – given to children during the swine flu pandemic in 2009-10.
He received a formal procedure which is usually three injections and is offered on a return to Italy after travelling abroad.
Two months later, Podor told authorities he had received injections while abroad in February 2010. But it was impossible to find proof that he had received the injections.
He was subsequently found guilty of being in contravention of health ministry legislation in applying for the vaccination.
The prosecution said he was also in violation of the health and vaccination procedures of healthcare organisations.
Health minister Beatrice Lorenzin asked doctors not to rule out vaccinations that Podor received abroad if proved legitimate.
The government is implementing a new rule to improve tracking of vaccination procedures.